Indiana city says it plans to sue Minneapolis over cost of George Floyd protests
An Indiana city says it plans to take legal action against Minneapolis to recover extra expenses from protests over the death of George Floyd in police custody.
Carmel, a suburbs of Indianapolis, announced Monday it intends to take legal action over “negligence for the expenses incurred protecting our community as a result of the actions by police in Minneapolis.” The city says it has hired legal counsel.
Mayor Jim Brainard said that “but for the negligence of the police department in that city, many communities, including Carmel, would not have incurred the costs of responding to the resulting riots and looting,” according to a news release.
“I encourage other cities to join us in this lawsuit for recovery of our costs. Those in power need to understand the far-reaching consequences of their actions,” Brainard said in a statement.
The city of Minneapolis did not immediately respond to McClatchy’s request for a comment Monday evening.
Across the U.S., demonstrators have organized protests over the death of Floyd, who died after he was pinned to the ground by a police officer while three other officers stood by. All four officers were fired. Derek Chauvin, the officer seen on video pushing his knee on Floyd’s neck, was charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter.
At times, the protests against police brutality have turned into riots and looting with police departments deploying tear gas and rubber bullets on crowds.
In Carmel, the mayor says the police department quadrupled the number of police officers on duty Saturday to respond to social media messages encouraging people to destroy parts of the city. Brainard said the city’s protests were mostly peaceful, though windows of a Kohl’s department store were broken.
The city trumpeted efforts it has taken to address race and law enforcement issues, including a human rights commission, bias training in the police department and body cameras.
“Carmel has worked tirelessly over the last two decades to ensure that we are clear that regardless of where one is from or what race one is, they are welcome to live work and raise their families safely in Carmel,” Brainard said.
As noted in the news release, “close to twenty percent of Carmel is non-Caucasian.”
According to the U.S. Census, Carmel’s population is 2.7% African American.
Carmel Police Chief Jim Barlow said he was disappointed in the police officers involved in Floyd’s death, saying “police departments are there to protect and serve all members of their communities.”
“That means all its residents, business owners, employees, visitors and public and private property,” Barlow said. “We train our officers and re-emphasize the importance of respect for the community. We rededicate ourselves to protecting the safety of those who want to express themselves, but will not hesitate to stop any illegal activities in our community.”
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